For many years, the Huge Three of tennis — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic — appeared unbeatable, however Carlos Alcaraz is likely one of the younger gamers who has been approaching their highlight. It is a prime alternative for Alcaraz, as Federer retired in 2022, Nadal is predicted to retire after this season, and present world No. 1 Djokovic withdrew from the French Open attributable to a knee damage.
Alcaraz, who in 2021 grew to become the youngest world No. 1 in males’s ATP rankings historical past at age 19, is the frontrunner to interchange Nadal as the following Spanish tennis star. They’ve solely confronted one another 3 times, and the now 21-year-old nonetheless makes use of their first assembly within the 2021 Madrid Open Spherical of 32 as a studying lesson as a result of Nadal crushed him, 6-1, 6-2.
“It was a scary second for me,” mentioned Alcaraz, a canopy athlete on the TopSpin 2K25 tennis online game. “I wasn’t ready that a lot and the rating reveals how scared and nervous I used to be.”
The next yr, Nadal received their subsequent encounter at Indian Wells, however Alcaraz redeemed himself with a win in Madrid. Alcaraz by no means bought to play towards Federer, and Djokovic presently holds a 3-2 lead of their all-time sequence.
Alcaraz admitted he’s just a little bit superstitious and can do issues resembling go to the identical eating places that deliver him “luck” throughout a match. Nonetheless, the huge success in his younger profession has come from easy and constant habits.
“Practising, working towards,” Alcaraz mentioned. “I usually apply within the morning and I end all the things within the morning. Then I’ve my afternoon to relaxation, to do my issues, hang around with my buddies just a little bit. However usually, it is working towards and resting.”
Alcaraz earned a ticket to the French Open quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 win over Felix Auger-Aliassime. His opponent Tuesday can be Stefanos Tsitsipas, who Alcaraz beat at Roland Garros final yr in the identical spherical.
To advance and compete for his third Grand Slam title, Alcaraz can be counting on the preparation that is gotten him to already nice lengths.
